A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a home electrical consumer product known as a toaster, for the toasting or browning of baked goods, and more particularly to the toasting of sliced bread and the like. The toaster uses heat to toast the bread, but maintains a cool exterior due to the control of air flow within a double wall construction.
B. Description of the Related Art
The toasting of food items has been a part of the culinary arts since the discovery of fire and the cooking of food. During this century, several appliances have been constructed and widely sold to help the home cook with the tasks of food preparation. One of these is the toaster, which enjoys wide use and popularity. Several toaster types and brands are currently available on the market However, only a few of these maintain a cool exterior by convective air flow. Most toasters use no means by which the toaster exterior is kept cool.
Most pertinent of the related art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,825 issued to Cox et al. on Aug. 2, 1983. The Cox patent discloses a toaster that is cool, at least to momentary touching. In the Cox patent, vents are located at the bottom of a double-walled toaster that allow cooling air to circulate between the walls to carry off radiated heat out of the top slot above the elements.
A problem with the construction and design of the Cox device is that the temperature of the top slot where bread is introduced remains somewhat high. In Cox, the hot air from the heating element and the now-warmed air used to cool the toaster exterior are both vented at the toaster top, with no cooling air or other means present to cool the toaster top. Further, matter such as dust or crumbs may enter the ventilation cavity of the Cox toaster due to the location of the air inlet slots at the bottom of the toaster housing.